Watch VideoNew test for carpal tunnel syndrome
Story By: Susan Davies
Source: KOAA
Published Fri Mar 21, 2008, 04:06 PM MDT
Updated Fri Mar 21, 2008, 05:39 PM MDT
The National Center for Health Statistics reports that carpal tunnel syndrome leads to more lost days of work than any other injury.
Local family doctors are testing patients using a new method that's faster and cheaper.
Dr. James Zimmer has an office in Security. For the past year and a half he's been using a nerve conduction test machine instead of traditional needle testing for nerve damage patients. He says the test is less painful and is cheaper and faster. He is seeing more carpal tunnel patients with the increased popularity of text messaging.
Zimmer says people feeling numbness or tingling need to see their doctor, because early diagnosis can lead to corrective treatment. Patients who wait too long often require surgery.
Some 20 million people in this country have an undiagnosed form of neuropathy - chronic nerve pain.
